Field-fence



j 'UNiTEDsTATEs PAENT OFFICE.

ISAIAH G. INSKEEP, OF VEST MIDDLEBURG, OHIO.

' l FIELD-FENCE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 31,667, dated March 12, 18.61.

To all whom 'it may concern:

lBe it known that I, IsAIAI-I G. INSKEEP, of VWest Middleburg, in thecounty of Logan and State of Ohio, have invented a new and ImprovedPortable Fence; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear,

y and eXact description of the same, reference being had to the annexeddrawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is aface view of two panels of a portable fence, connected togetheraccording to my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same. y

Similar letters of reference indicate correspending parts in the twofigures.

This invention consists in a novel way of connecting the panels of thefence together, substantially as hereinafter fully shown and described,whereby the fence may be erected or put up and takendown with greatfacility, and the panels so connected that they cannot be detached andthrown down by unruly cattle, or by the action of the wind.

The invention relates to the class of fences known as worm or zig-Zag,which do not require sunken posts or those firmly fixed in the earth tosupport them.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct myinvention I will proceed to describe it.

A A represent two panels of a fence.

These panels may be constructed in much the usual way, to wit: bysecuring horizontal lboards or strips, a, to verticalbattens, b,

which are at each side of the panels, the boards being secured betweenthem. The panels may be any suitable length and height.

The upper and lower boards, a, of each panel have their ends project ashort distance beyond the end battens, and these proj ecting ends arenotched at their under sides, at one end of each panel, as shown at c,and the opposite ends of these boards are notched at their uppersurfaces, as shown at cl.' These notches, c CZ, are rectangular, and both are shown clearly in Fig. l.

Each panel is provided with a central board or strip, a, the ends ofwhich are not permanently secured in the end battens, These boards orstrips, a', however are se- Yare disengaged, to turn on said bolts.

cured in the panels by a bolt, e, to the central battens and areallowed, when their ends The ends of the boards or strips, a, are whennot required to move, prevented from doing lso by pins, f, which passthrough the end battens just below the boards or strips, a', as clearlyshown in Fig. 1.

The boards or strips, a', are notched at one end in their uppersurfaces, as shown at g, the opposite ends being notched in their undersurfaces as shown at 71,.

The two panels, A A, are fitted together so as to have oblique positionsrelatively witheach other as shown in Fig. 2, the notches, c, of onepanel. being over the notches, d, of the other, and the ends of theboards or strips, a, having the notches are interlocked.

The Obliquity of the two panels, A A, forms a dove-tail recess, z',between the adjoining battens, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, and in thisrecess a vertical wedge, B, is. driven, the edges of the wedge beingbeveled to correspond with the oblique position of the battens. By,driving the wedge, B, down in the recess, z', the adjoining ends of,the panels are firmly connected together, the interlocked ends of thenotched boards or strips being cramped or strained and drawn together toform close, firm joints.

The central boards or strips, a', have their notches in reversepositions to those of the upper and lower boards of the panels, as is lclearly shown in Fig. l, but they are interlocked in the same way. Bythis arrangement the panels cannot be disconnected by raising one ofthem directly upward. This is an important feature of the invention, forunruly cattle frequently make great use of their horns and unhinge largegates, and even throw down quite firm fences. By having, however, theboards or strips, a, notched in a reverse manner to the others, a,panels cannot be detached by simply raising one of them. The interlockedends of the boards or strips, a,.require vto be first disengaged, whichis done by removing the pins, 7?, and turning said boards or strips ontheir bolts, e.

I am aware that panels of fences have been connected together bynotching and inthe adjustable reversely notched boards or strips, a',and the Wedge, B, arranged substantially as and for the purpose setforth.- 10

' ISAIAH Gr. INSKEEP.

terlockng together the ends of their rails,l boards, or strips, and I donot claim broadly such device separately considered; but

I do claim as new and desire to secure by 5 Letters Patent, lVitnesses:`

The upper and lowermost notched boards ISRAEL POOL, or strips, a, of thepanels in connectlon With TENISON CHESHER.

